Jesse Smith

written by: Travis Mason


Jesse Smith is an artist that is currently tattooing in Richmond, Virginia. I asked Jesse for this interview because after seeing his work, I was inspired to look at a style of art that I'm unfamiliar with, having done so, I'm now hoping to spend some time with Jesse, not as a writer, but as a customer. It's nice getting the insight of an artist, seeing who inspires them and what other artists they follow. Jesse Smiths art and tattoo work can be seen at www.kaoticenzymes.com.

How long have you been tattooing?
I've been tattooing professionally since July of 1999.

How did you get in to the business?
Back in '97 I met this fella named Carlos who was tattooing out of his house. We soon became friends and would draw together regularly. I eventually asked him to teach me how to make a ghetto gun and shortly after I ventured off to do my first tattoo. I never really planned on becoming a tattoo artist. I just wanted to try it and see what it was like, so I got a friend to lend me his skin and laced him up with a crappy tattoo. I had only planned on doing this one tattoo, but after the word got out that I was tattooing, people started lining up at the door, not because my tattoos were good, but because they were cheap.

Who are some artists that you are in to right now?
There are tons of artists that I look at on a regular basis, but the artists who I think have had the most influence over my work are:

  • Greg "Croala" Simkins. Not only for paving the way for us character driven artists, but for also being such a great guy. Greg has opened my mind up a bit more and allowed me to feel confident in decisions I make in my art.
  • Gunnar.I really dig the way he way he captivates a, not so cute, situation in a cute way.
  • Tim Biedron. His bent perspectives on his characters as well as his original color combinations have really made me feel comfortable with the fact that I like to place eyes in places where they don't belong.
  • Joe Sorren. There are no boundaries with Joe. If he feels like stretching one arm out longer then the other or squishing a face in the middle of a big head, he'll do it. All while capturing a rather innocent feel. All his creatures/characters seemed deformed, but they carry themselves with confidence as if they aren't concerned about how people view them.
  • Jason Stephan. Aside from being one of my best friends, Jason's attention to detail and overall precision are unmatched. Not only is he an inspirational artist, but he's also one of the realest people I know. Whenever I have questioned myself as an artist/tattoo artist Jason has been there to encourage me and keep my head straight. All of his goofy characters reflect his personality and he is one of the most solid artists that I know.
  • Tony Ciavarro. Tony inspires me on many levels. Of course his art is precise and super clean, but his work ethic and business sense is impeccable. And to top it all he's probably the most humble artist I know.
  • Michael Hussar. A super talented individual who captures the true essence of evil in all of his paintings. His stylized realism is something that I aspire to add to my art.
  • Scribe. Scribe creates these imaginary worlds/scenarios that at first glance seem to be kinda meaningless to the viewer, but as you look deeper, you see that the characters are extremely consumed by their situation. It's kind of like a simple version of your everyday battles. His simplistic style, along with his ambitious ideas have inspired the direction in which I have gone with my art.
  • Toast. Ever since I first started following his work, back in '95, this guy has kept me in awe. Everything he does is just mind blowing, his attention to light source and his ability to tweak just about anything, have truly laid a foundation in my mind of how to create an innovative character.
How is the tattoo scene in Richmond, VA and have you seen it change much recently?
I think Richmond's Tattoo scene is one of the best in the world. Not only do we have an awesome group of artists, we've also got a very motivated client base. The scene has changed a bunch since I first started tattooing here. When I first moved to Richmond there were only a handful of tattoo studios and all of them were production studios except for Absolute and Alive. Nowadays there are a lot more studios, but the amount of production shops vs. custom shops has started to balance out. I think it's just a matter of time before the clientele gets smart enough to pick their artist and not their shop. Once that happens the number of Custom shops will out number the Production shops. The power is shifting from the Studio Owners to the Artists.

I have to ask you about bands and food, what have you been listening to lately and what kind of food are you in to?
I really dig anything that pushes the boundaries a bit. The CD I've been diggin on the most lately is the New Gorillas CD. I'm also big Mike Patton fan. I usually find anything that he puts together interesting. Other artists that I really enjoy are Diplo, Muse, RJD2, Kanye West, Andre 3000, Sigur Ros, Eminem........... I love all types of food, but I try and lean toward healthier food as much as possible. At home I cook a lot of Chicken and Vegetables but when I eat out I eat a lot of Thai food (Elephant Thai, Mom Siams and Thai Diner), Sushi (Sticky Rice) and sandwiches (Ipanemas, Cappolas, Nick's, Chioccas, Olio). I also spend a lot of my evenings eating at Tarrant's and Belvidere not only because they have great food, but they're both within walking distance of my shop. Every once in awhile I snag something up at Taco Bell or Qdoba, but I try not to make it a habit.

How would you describe your style?
I really like to call my style Lo-Brid. I feel as though it's a word that illustrates the mixture of Lowbrow art, Comic Book art and Tattoo art with a Graffiti style twist to it. A lot of people want to group me in with the "New School" style, but I feel as though most of the artists who are being grouped into the "New School" style today have pushed passed the stigma that that particular word encompass'.

I know you've done some great tattoos, in your mind what is the best one?
I really enjoy the Oppression piece. It's a piece that I feel has a pretty thick plot and I was really happy with how well the forced perspective ended up. It was also a pretty extensive cover-up.

For more on Jesse Smith and his work:
FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | MYSPACE